Tamannaah Bhatia's Bold Scenes In 'Jee Karda' Sparks Controversy

Bhatia has apparently broken her no-kiss policy for the first time in her 18 years in the film industry, and that doesn’t seem to have gone well with a section of netizens. She is yet again on the news, and this time for not-so-good reasons. The actor has been facing criticism on social media after photos and videos of her sensual scene from Jee Karda went viral online.

Many netizens took to Twitter and other social media to remind her of her 'no-intimate scene policy', as they were disappointed that she had performed intimate scenes in her debut web series. While some netizens asked the reasons behind her decision to break her own policy, others slammed her for performing such intimate scenes.

Tamannaah Jee Karda Controversy

Bhatia was called the new Sunny Leone in India, and netizens stated that she is "in all limits in the 2^nd inning of her career." A netizen even shamed her for choosing such "disgusting and shitty roles," and another user commented that it was a "moral downfall."

In a recent interaction with Film Companion, Bhatia revealed that she was someone who used to think it would be awkward to do intimate scenes. She said that it was an evaluation for her to get out of that mindset. She added that, as an actor, she felt this shouldn’t be something that was holding her back. After all, it's her career and her choice!

Why Do Netizens Have A Problem?

Audiences tend to attach certain labels to actors, like "Voh yahee karegee," and then when the actors break that template, they get disappointed. Bhatia, who has done an ample number of blockbuster films in the south, has always been perceived as a "conservative" actor because she has done very few intimate scenes in her career. Now that she’s been experimenting with different types of roles, including bold ones, the audience isn't able to accept it and is critical of it.

Some netizens have been trolling her for saying that she would never do intimate scenes. That was way back in the early days of her career, and down the line, she has evolved as an actor and a person and is up to experimenting with different kinds of roles. Why is that something to be shamed or judged for? Would the audience have made it such a big deal if there were a male actor in her place? They would have probably been hailing him for doing a bold scene. Why the double standards, though?

Isn't It Her Personal Choice?

But isn’t it her personal choice to decide what kind of movie to work in and what kind of scenes to perform? Why do audiences have the entitlement to criticise her choice? She played a female bouncer in Babli Bouncer last year, and that was a unique role in her body of work. Similarly, this bold scene from Jee Karda is yet another unique role that she’s experimenting with. Why is the former acceptable and the latter not?

When an actor is trying various kinds of roles, we usually call it versatility. But why is going from "girl-next-door" characters to "badass girl" characters inviting trolls? Isn't that versatile acting too? Choosing the kind of movie that she wants to work in is her exercising her agency over her life. No one asked for the unsolicited opinion of netizens here.

Bhatia has personally made a mindful choice to experiment with bold roles after sticking to conservative roles for a very long time, and it seems like she’s doing an excellent job. It’s her career and her life, and she seems to have a clear vision and goals set for her. Haters are going to hate, and trollers are going to troll, but none of that will pull down ambitious women.

Views expressed by the author are their own

Suggested Reading: ‘He’s My Happy Place’: Tamannaah Bhatia Confirms On Dating Vijay Varma

Image Credits: Zee News and News 18